


Standing in Proxy

by Tuxedo_Elf



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Gen, Hyrule warriors - Freeform, Pre-Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Proxi is best fairy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29185461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuxedo_Elf/pseuds/Tuxedo_Elf
Summary: Proxi wants to know why the young hero of Time is avoiding her, one night she finally gets her answer. Written for the companions prompt on the LU discord.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Standing in Proxy

Standing in Proxy

Xxx

Fairies were naturally observant creatures. You had to be when you were that small, or all manner of terrible fates could befall you. 

Proxi remembered the last time she'd let her concentration lapse. Distracted by fanciful thoughts, she'd flown straight into the middle of a raging battle. If Link hadn't been there that day she knew she probably wouldn't have made it out alive. 

She'd stayed with him since then, a mutual partnership forming almost effortlessly. He was the protector and the thinker, she was the voice and the reason. And she never, ever let something slip by her again.

Which is why she saw the way the boy looked at her.

The small boy had dropped into one of their battles some days ago, bringing with him an unprecedented level of chaos. The initial panic of realising that there was a child on the battlefield was quickly replaced by astonishment and no small amount of horror at how capable and efficient the child was at cutting down the enemies that surrounded him. 

Proxi had been fascinated from the moment he arrived. The child's sword was almost as big as him, yet he wielded it effortlessly, his wide eyes focused on his enemy as he attacked, seemingly unfazed by anything that came at him, regardless of how they towered over him.

She'd got close enough to see how at ease he was with the blade, as Link took it on himself to look out for the boy's safety and stayed nearby. She was no expert on Hylian ages, but she wondered how young he must have started to be this experienced already. 

And the surprises only kept coming when the fury of battle was over. 

Link had gone up to him, a cautious smile on his face. "Hello there, sprite. What's your name?" 

The boy scowled. "Don't call me that. My name is Link." 

A strange look had crossed her Link's face at that. "Is that so?" He said, eyeing the child carefully. "Well that may cause some confusion... you see, Link is *my* name."

"Your name?" The boy had looked shocked. Slowly, his gaze had shifted to settle on her. "And who are you?" There was a feeling of quiet fear that Proxi could almost touch, but couldn't quite place.

She'd flown over, hovering next to the child, this young Link, and given her brightest and best smile. "Hi! I'm Proxi! I'm Link... big Link's fairy!" 

"Oh." He'd smiled stiffly and quickly looked away. 

She'd felt her heart sink a little at the cool response. Maybe he didn't like fairies. 

Xxx

Since then, he'd only confused her more and more. On the battlefield he was deadly, striking down his foes without hesitation. On the rare occasions he found himself outmatched, the mask on his belt transformed him briefly into an adult who put out the kind of magic that made Proxi's fairy blood run cold. 

Yet away from battle, he was much like any other child; at least as far as she could tell with her limited experience. 

Link was still calling him Sprite, which had earned him several bruises to his shins, which in turn led to a few reprimands from Impa about calling children 'feral'. However despite this it wasn't uncommon to find the boy asleep next to his older counterpart, mouth hanging open and the scarf wrapped around him like a blanket. In those quiet moments, Link looked at him fondly and sometimes admitted how the young one was growing on him. 

That experience, of building a bond, was one Proxi had only ever experienced with Link. Fairies all lived together from the moment they were created and bonds were as natural as breathing. Having to work at one was something a fairy only had to do outside of their own kind. 

And, Proxi found, she wanted to get to know more about the small, strange boy. 

For the most part, she noticed that he avoided her yet, when he thought she wasn't looking, she caught wistful looks from him, aimed squarely at her and usually when she was close to Link. Why she didn't know... but she wanted to.

Her chance came several days later, when the little sprite was sleeping alone. Link had gone to meet with the Princess and Impa and had left her here, away from the drudgery of planning battles and distributing resources. It was late, the moon high in a clear sky, and their smallest soldier was fast asleep. 

Asleep, but unsettled. As she watched, he began to stir, muttering and mumbling and reaching out to something that wasn't there. His face creased and his hand grasped and, though his eyes were still closed, tears began to fall. 

"Oh!" Without hesitation she moved from where she'd been curled up in a daisy, flying to the boy's side. 

"Are you okay?" She reached out, one tiny hand grabbing onto his sleeve and shaking as hard as she could. It had no effect however and she was forced to dodge his flailing arms. "Sp... Link! Wake up, you're having a nightmare!" She flew to his ear and tried to get his attention before he hurt himself. "Hey! Listen!" 

The boy's eyes shot open.

Proxi let go of his ear, carefully fluttering round to see his face. His eyes were wide but distant, his mind trapped between the waking world and the land of dreams. 

A single world left his lips. 

"Navi?" 

She blinked. "Navi?" It was a name, a fairy name no less, but she'd never known one who called themselves that. "I'm not..." she went to correct him, but he started speaking again.

"I missed you. I looked... everywhere... why did you leave? Navi..."

It was all it took for his odd behaviour to make sense. He'd lost a fairy, one who looked like her probably and now, in his mostly asleep state, he thought she'd come back. 

"I'm not..." she started again, but this time she stopped herself. The half awake look of hope, the wet eyes and the small pale face tugged at her heart. "It... it's okay, Link. Go back to sleep. I'm here. We can talk later." She flew to his cheek, nuzzling lightly. "Sleep." 

The haze faded from his eyes and she froze, but then they closed again and he let out a sigh. "Love you, Navi," he mumbled as he drifted into slumber again, unaware of the sad little fairy still resting on his cheek. 

Xxx

When Link came back some two hours later, she was resting but awake on the pillow next to the now peaceful boy, her glow dim so as not to disturb him.

"Is everything okay?" Link frowned as he pulled off his hat. "You two aren't usually so close."

"He had a nightmare," she whispered, her voice devoid of it's usual bounce. "He thought I was someone else... a different fairy. One called Navi. And I think... he lost her."

"I don't know the name," Link sighed. "But it does explain why he's avoided you. It must hurt. Especially with me being Link too." 

She recalled his reaction when they'd first been introduced. "Maybe he thought I'd have the same name as his fairy." 

"I think he did. Poor kid."

Proxi shifted awkwardly. "I didn't know what to do. I told him I... she... was here and to go back to sleep. I hope he doesn't remember in the morning. He'll hate me." 

Reaching out, Link pulled the blanket over the boy's shoulders. "Don't be so sure. He looks young but you can tell he's seen a lot. He's older than his years."

She nodded and as Link sank onto his own makeshift bed, reluctantly started to move. 

"No, stay there." The hero of Warriors' expression was soft. "It's okay. He needs you more than I do right now." 

"Are you sure? I... I'm *your* fairy." 

"And you always will be," he smiled. "But this is more important. We can't bring his fairy back, but we ... and especially you... can try to heal the wounds she left. What do you say?" 

Glancing down at the peaceful face of the tiny hero of Time, she felt her heart swell. "I think... I'm enough fairy for two Links." 

And as her big Link settled into bed and her little Link stirred beside her, she was sure of it. 

Xxx

End


End file.
